ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
At Wotton House, we are proud to be part of the Surrey Hills landscape and our connection to nature
along with our connection to the house’s owners, who himself was a famous botanist and gardener.
Our aim is to preserve the woodlands and waterways that surround our hotel and encourage wildlife
and biodiversity through the management of our own gardens, introduction of bee hives and to
ensure that 100% of our garden waste/cuttings are returned to the grounds to enhance the soil
quality or provide habitats for the local wildlife.
Through are relationship with RBH and nominated suppliers, we only work with eco-accredited
suppliers or those with detailed sustainability policies and processes. It is only then that they will be
entertained in our strict procurement assessments, including demonstrating how they manage their
carbon footprint in sourcing, acquisition, and transportation. Sustainably sourced goods are critical
to achieving our goals in managing the carbon in our supply chain.
In addition to working with the nominated suppliers, Wotton House has a goal to work with and
offer at least one locally sourced item across our food and drinks menus per menu category to
reduce supply chain miles and support our local economy.
Wotton House has removed single-use plastics across the hotel and there has been a big focus in
recent years, moving to sustainable products such as bulk bathroom amenities, take away food
packaging, paper straws and stationery to name some examples. We have developed strict
procedures around managing all waste: increasing our recycling and reducing our landfill, by
separating our food waste for composting as well as dry-mixed recycling and working in partnership
with suppliers and agents to identify key areas to continue driving increased sustainability.
We aim to reduce our water consumption across our hotel with the use of shower and tap aerators,
minimising flow without detracting from the guest experience, as well as installing sensor taps and
flush monitoring as we refurbish and refresh rest rooms as part of our FF&E cycle. We harvest
rainwater from the hotel roof to irrigate planters and ornamental gardens where practical.
Working under the management of RBH, we collaborate with the Caledonian Forest Grove project,
via the Trees For Life organisation and we offset residual carbon from travel after all reduction
assessments are undertaken. Local staff travel is monitored and all work related travel is encouraged
to take the lowest carbon option and in most cases, car sharing mandated.
We have set comprehensive carbon-reduction targets tied to energy consumption. Working with our
partners, we are moving our hotel to renewable energy sources and LED lighting on a rolling basis.
More information is available from our Environmental Champions at Wotton House.
Edward Adshead
GENERAL MANAGER
Green Key
Green Key is an international eco-label for tourism facilities. Since 1994, Green Key has been a leading standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. The Green Key programme is run internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education. In England it is managed by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
Green Key provides a well-proven framework for an establishment to work with its environmental management on sustainability issues, including awareness raising. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent on-site audits.
Green Key is eligible for hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and attractions.
For guests, a Green Key shows that the establishment is committed to reducing the environmental impact of their stay. The Green Key programme is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 addressed by the United Nations.
Find out more at www.greenkeyengland.co.uk